Internal-combustion engine



July 28, 2925. 35 27 267 .H. E. nowwmc;

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGIW Filed Aug. 8, 1923 Z Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES IN VEN TOR I M Q,

A TTORNE YS July 28, 1925. 1541.207

' H. E. DOWNLNG INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Aug. 28, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z9 4 7? IE z 1 58 a g 1 57/ u. t fi /7 WITNESSES INVENTOR @Q /0 A TTORNE YS Patented July 28, 1925.

UNITED STATES HARRY E. DOWNING, OF FORTE,

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION Enema. f

Application am August 28, 1,923. Serial in. 859,818.

To all whom it may qgncem:

I a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Del Norte, in the county of Rio Grande and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and has for its object the provision of a device whichis adapted to stop the engine when the lubricating pump fails to work.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device adapted to be connected with an internal combustion engine for cutting out the ignition When the lubricating pump fails to work andfor giving visual signals at the same time.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following de-- tailed description, in view of the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification; nevertheless it is to beunderstood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure. being susce tible of such changes and modifications, w ich shall define no material departure .from thesalient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

In the drawings: 1 Figure 1 is a fragmentary view partly ln section of an automobile dlsclosing my 1nvention in cooperative relation wlth an internal combustion engine of the automobile. Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the dash disclosing certain visual signals.

Figure 3 is a side view of the umtary structure for cutting out the ignition when the pump fails to work. 1

Figure 4-is a sectional view of the casing of the indicating mechanism shown in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a vertical section of the casing and pump plunger operated by oil pressure. Figure 6 is a view in section of the device shown in Figure 5 and with a section taken along the plane at right angles to the section shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a view in perspective of the indicating plunger of the signalling device. Figure 8 diagrammatically shows the wiring of the engine connected with the signalling device.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates an. internal combustion engine having spark plugs 2 which form part of the ignition system of the engine. Wires 3 connect the spark plugs with a distributor 4.

Upon the dash 5 of the automobile is proected the face plate 6 of the indicator 7. This face plate is made of glass or some transparent. material through which the indicia 8 Oflf is displayed and whichis inscribed upon the outer face 9 of the plunger 10.

The plunger is reciproca-ble in a barrel 11 havlng a conduit 12 connected with the discharge end of the pump 13. A return conduit 14 incorporated in the cylinder 11 has its one end 15 spaced from the glass 6. The

conduit 14 is connected with a pipe 16 for returning oil back to the pump. The plunger 10 is provided withja reduced portion 17 which is encircled by a coil spring 18 for maintaining the plunger at the outer end of its stroke with the portion 9 adjacent the glass 6. The inner end of the spring abuts a shoulder 19 of the cylinder 11.

A metal ring 20 is connected to the re duced portion 17 of the piston and insulated from said piston by means of rin s of insulating material 21. The movab e contact members 22 and 23 are slidable in an insulated bearing 24 mounted in perforations in the reduced portion 25 of the cylinder 11. The contact 22 is electrically I connected vwith the battery 26 while eontact 23 is connected with the wire 27 leading to the ignition system.

A switch 28 having contact members 29 is adapted to span the outer end of the reduced portion 25in the cylinder 11 and engage the contact members 22 and 23 for maintaining the circuit closed when the plunger 10 is moved to the outer end of the cylinder 11 and the oil pump is not working. These contacts are only temporarily moved into engagement with the contacts 22 and23 when the handle 30 is pulled outwardly against the tension of the spring 31 and this handle is only withdrawn when the operator of the car presses his foot upon the usual means for startin the motor. Without the switch 28 and lts respective contact 29 the i ition circuit would be always broken. he handle 30 is insulated, as shown at 32, from switch 28.

The operation ofin device is as follows:

When it is desire to start the motor, the usual button is depressed for starting the usual electric motor to rotate the engine and at the same time the handle 30 is pulled outwardly from the front of the cylinder 9 in order to make contact between member 29 and the contacts 22 and 23, respectively. This closes the circuit to the ignition and as soon as the "en 'ne is operated and the oil pump is worl ring oil will be forced through passa' outer face,9 0 the piston 10. The pressure of the oil is sufiicient to overcome the tension of the sprin 18vand force the piston rearwardly unti the oil is'discharged throu h the return conduit 14. Atthis time t e metallic ring 20 on the end of the piston 10 engages contacts 22 and 23 and maintains the ignition circuit closed. The handle then be released and the contacts 22 29 will become disengaged from. contacts 22 and 23 since it is no longer necessary to maintain the circuit closed by the switch 28.

If anything should happen to the oil pump or a conduit should break or become clogged and the oil pump fails to'supply the an no with lubricating oil, the flow of oil to t e'passage 12 and likewise to cylinder 11.willbe cut off and the spring 18 will return the piston to the forward end of the cylinder and adjacent the plate 6. The

12 between plate'6 and the 'taining indicia 011' will en age the transparent plate 6 and indicate t at the oilpump is not working. At the same time the ignition circuit is broken since the plunger has been moved forwardly and released the ring 20, from the contacts 22 and 23..

What I claim is:

In an internal combustion engine having an ignition system, a circuit breaker comprising a cylinder adapted to be supplied with, lubricant under pressure, a piston movable in the cylinder and acted upon by the lubricant, a stem on the piston, contacts spring pressed towards the stem at diametrically opposite points on the stem and in circuit with the ignition system, a contact adjacent each of the spring pressed contacts adapted to be manually operated and moved into engagement with the spring pressed contacts for closing the circuit, a glass window at one end of the cylinder, said head of the piston having such indicia as 01f, the lubricant under pressure mainthe piston head away from the glass window, and a spring forcing the piston head in engagement with the window to disclose the indicia when the lubricant fails to retain the piston away from said window.

HARRY E. DOWN IN G. 

